Thursday, June 16, 2011

Nadia Bloom

Nadia Bloom, The news that Nadia Bloom was found this morning was tempered initially by confusion over her condition. Metro Church members said the 11-year-0ld Winter Springs girl was alive, but law enforcement wasn't providing details or confirmation at first. Television stations interrupted their regular schedules to provide the unfolding news. Winter Springs police chief Kevin Brunelle said Nadia's spirits "seemed very well" and she was put on an IV for dehydration. Brunelle said they didn't want the girl to walk out, and she was being passed out — hand by hand — by at least 15 police officers.

WOFL-Channel 35's Tiffany Tift said, "It was a very tense moment this morning when media did not know whether or not she was found alive or dead." A church member went out this morning and found Nadia on his own, Tift reported. Nadia was able to talk to her family via the church member's cell phone.

WFTV-Channel 9's Steve Barrett described the find as "amazing" and "miraculous." Nadia had disappeared Friday, and experts said she could survive outside for 96 hours.

"This girl clearly is going to need some medical attention," Barrett said. "But how much medical attention and how bad off she is, we don't know."

Barrett speculated that the Winter Springs chief of police didn't want to raise hopes or have the family "stand up and cheer only to be heartbroken when they get to the hospital."

A Winter Springs police officer said the girl was confirmed found, but wouldn't say if she was alive or if she was taken out of the swampy area

WESH-Channel 2 anchor Aixa Diaz explained that the station was going the news she is alive, because church members told reporter Jeff Lennox she had been found alive. "Also, a family spokesperson is telling Dave McDaniel that, in fact, Nadia has been found alive and her mother has been alerted," Dias said.

Police later confirmed that Nadia is alive. At 10 a.m., stations provided live coverage of Metro Church senior pastor Dan Holland saying Nadia "had been eaten up with mosquitoes" but she was talking.

"Instead of this being a tragic time, we're celebrating," Holland said.

Holland said a church member, James King, had found Nadia, gave her water and cared for her. "I don't know that he can actually get her out by himself," Holland said.

WESH, WFTV, WOFL and WKMG-Channel 6 tossed their regular schedules to follow the news. There was extensive coverage on Bright House Networks' Central Florida News 13 as well.